Bury gets £100,000 hi-tech pothole repair machines

POTHOLES and road problems in the borough will be tackled head-on, thanks to a £100,000 investment on state-of-the-art machines, town hall bosses have revealed.

Bury Council is to buy two new road planning machines to plane out damaged or worn surfaces and make them stable before laying fresh asphalt.

The modern equipment will mean there will be more pothole and patch repairs being carried out across the borough’s 665km of roads.

The council receives an average of 3,500 requests each year for repairs and patches up 6000 square metres of highway.

Cllr Tony Isherwood, cabinet member for the environment, said: “I am very much aware that our highways have suffered from many years of under-investment and that road resurfacing is considerably under-funded by the Government. But this local financial commitment and the operational changes we are putting in place are key steps in the right direction.

“This investment is not just a one-off quick fix. The new machinery and materials being used will provide a much improved service for years to come.

“Investing in our valued workforce and in modern-day equipment means our residents will get longer-lasting and improved minor repairs.”

The council will also use specialist machinery to complete jet patching and vertical seam repairs to extend the life of the road surface.

New area-based maintenance teams will help with delivery of materials, reduce travelling time between jobs and increase targeted repairs, council officers said.

At Bury Council’s full meeting last Wednesday several questions about the state of the borough’s roads were asked by councillors.

Cllr Susan Southworth, who represents Elton, said a “huge rise” in the number and severity of potholes was one of the most common complaints from her ward members.

Cllr Isherwood responded: “Whilst I accept our residents are unhappy with the state of the roads, likewise we are equally unhappy that the Government fails to appreciate the huge financial challenge we are facing.”

North Manor Conservative Cllr Dorothy Gunther asked the leader to thank Chancellor George Osborne for allocating extra money for potholes.

Cllr Isherwood said the one-off payment was welcome and the council would be at the front of the queue to bid for it, but that highways had been “grossly underfunded” for many years.

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